President Donald J. Trump recently issued a new executive order (EO) that will require “independent agencies” to submit their rulemaking to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Interestingly (but unsurprisingly), this led to a deluge of news articles and quotes from opponents of the administration decrying the move as a power grab and part of an anti-regulatory agenda....
PJM board approves $6.7B transmission expansion plan
The PJM Interconnection board approved $5.9 billion in new transmission projects to bolster reliability across the grid operator’s footprint, PJM said Wednesday. That, combined with changes to the scope and cost of existing projects, mean PJM’s latest Regional Transmission Expansion Plan is set to cost $6.7 billion, according to the grid operator for 13 mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states...
America May Not Need a Massive Energy Build-Out to Power the AI Revolution
Amid surging demand for data centers to train and use cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) models, there is a consensus that an expensive build-out of America’s electric power system is unavoidable. President Trump declared a national energy emergency on the first day of his administration and has pledged to fast-track new power plants to fuel the data...
House votes to overturn rule implementing methane fee
The House on Wednesday voted to overturn a Biden-era rule implementing a program that charges oil and gas companies for excess methane emissions. The vote was 220-206-1. Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Jared Golden (Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Adam Gray (Calif.), Kristen McDonald Rivet (Mich.) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) voted with nearly every Republican in favor of the measure. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) was...
China ‘green’ jet fuel plants push back start-up amid lack of policy
Several Chinese builders of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plants are postponing start up as a lack of government policy guidance restrains them from marketing the fuel domestically or exporting it. Reuters reported last May that companies were investing more than $1 billion to build China’s first plants to turn waste cooking oil into aviation fuel for...
King coal to stay top in India despite big clean power pipeline
India has the second-largest clean power capacity development pipeline globally after China, with nearly 56,000 megawatts of new renewables, hydro and nuclear capacity under construction. Clean energy sources account for two-thirds of the all the new power capacity under development in India, according to Global Energy Monitor (GEM) data, and will result in a 35%...
EPA to make higher-ethanol gas available year round beginning in April
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will proceed with Biden-era plans to allow the year-round sale of higher-ethanol E15 fuel, a longtime ask of midwestern lawmakers and the biofuels industry. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency would maintain the agreed-upon date of April 28 to make the fuel available in eight states. The governors of...
Time to Make Nuclear Energy Great Again
“We made oil and gas great again through the shale revolution. We can make nuclear energy great again through nuclear recycling. A decade ago, America was on the brink of energy decline. We were dependent on foreign oil, vulnerable to geopolitical shocks, and burdened by high energy costs. Then came the shale revolution—an American innovation...
Minnesota’s Climate-Smart Food Initiative Gains Traction with $200 Million EPA Grant
A $200 million EPA grant aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota’s food systems is generating significant interest from businesses, nonprofits, and local governments. Administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the funding will support efforts to make food production, transportation, and waste management more sustainable while improving food security and public health....
Chinese Manufacturers Speed Up Efforts to Dodge Trump Tariffs
After the Trump administration put a new 10% tariff on Chinese products earlier this month, Agilian Technology, an electronics manufacturer in China, pressed forward with its plan to avoid additional levies. In the run-up to last year’s election, Agilian grew worried that the U.S. would introduce new tariffs if Donald Trump returned to the White House, and one of...









